


A Vision in the Styx

by shadowtraveled (meteorfest)



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Canon Rewrite, M/M, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-24
Updated: 2015-10-24
Packaged: 2018-04-27 22:30:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5067004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meteorfest/pseuds/shadowtraveled
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Percy, following along with Nico’s plan, goes to bathe in the Styx to gain invincibility. As the Styx burns at his mortality, Percy sees one person in particular reaching out for him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Vision in the Styx

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Rare Pair Project's "Canon or is it?" prompt, which suggested taking a scene in canon and bending it to our will. I've previously done a similar thing with this scene in role-playing, but never written out the scene itself, so I thought I'd actually write it.

Percy and Nico stood at the edge of the Styx, Achilles’ spirit shaking his head behind them as he faded from sight, still wishing that he could spare the young son of Poseidon from the curse that would take over him. No one should bear his curse, not this demigod nor the last to come before the Styx. Achilles could only wish the young man luck, though he doubted the gods would be so kind - few had been to him.

Percy shifted, bringing one foot forward and using the other to toe off his shoe, then reversed the action, pulling off his other shoe before leaving them both on the shore. Naturally occurring water-shield or not, Percy didn’t want his shoes dragging him down as he bathed in the cursed waters. Nico, next to him, began to protest, suggesting there might be another way, saying that Achilles’ warning that this would seal Percy’s doom was right.

“This was _your_ idea,” Percy told the younger demigod. They’d already gone through the pre-dip process, getting Sally Jackson’s blessing for her son, despite her fears and the pain it had taken her to say it. Percy wasn’t going to waste his mother’s blessing. “Stay here on the shore. If I don’t make it...maybe Hades will get his wish after all.”

A flash of pain crossed Nico’s face, though Percy couldn’t tell what it meant. Probably simply that Nico didn’t want to be the child of the prophecy, as Hades seemed to wish. Frankly, Percy didn’t want Nico to be the child of the prophecy either; it was too much of a burden to put on a thirteen-year-old boy and too painful. Percy had his promise to Bianca di Angelo that he would take care of Nico and he wasn’t going to let her brother suffer because of this prophecy.

 _A single choice shall end his days._ Percy absolutely did not want Nico’s days to end.

Remembering Achilles’ final words of advice, to concentrate on one spot on his body that would be his link to his mortal life, Percy pictured a life-saving bungee cord from a spot on the small of his back that would be what tethered him to mortality. He knew from all the times he played Capture the Flag in his armor that the spot on his back would be well guarded, carefully hidden under his armor. No one would know where that spot was, so no one would be able to target it.

The tether in mind, his concentration on his mortal point, Percy stepped into the river and almost immediately regretted it. Though he’d intended to simply walk into the water, wade in until it was over his head, the shocking, burning pain that shot through his body within only a couple of steps had him falling face-first into the Styx.  Percy tried to concentrate past the pain and regain his composure, but he soon found himself completely submerged, the water of the Styx enveloping him and pulling him down, all the while scalding his body.

He couldn’t breathe. Never before in his life had Percy understood the fear of drowning, the water always being friendly to him and carrying him safely along. He could always count on the water to help him, rather than hinder him, but the waters of the Styx would not lend him that help. These were waters of the Underworld, cold and unfriendly to children of the sea. These waters would rather tear him apart than guard him, dissolve him bit by bit, instead of shield him from harm.

He felt like his life was flashing before him, seeing the faces of his friends and family. His mother promised him her blessing. Tyson pleaded with him to be careful. Grover exclaimed something about enchiladas, but what could Percy say? He couldn’t even open his mouth at the moment, sure that the waters would suffocate him, burn him from the inside, if it got the chance. Percy closed his eyes as the water washed away the images of the people he loved and he let himself fall in the river’s currents.

The clashing sound of metal against metal echoed in Percy’s mind and he was certain he felt his back hit the ground; he must have sunk to the bottom of the Styx.

“Stand your ground, Jackson!”

Percy’s eyes shot open again at the sound of a familiar voice. He wasn’t in the water at that moment, but back at Camp Half-Blood, back flat on the ground of the practice arena. Above him stood the familiar form of Luke Castellan, but there was so much about him that was different from the last time he’d seen the older demigod. Luke’s eyes were the bright blue that Percy remembered, not the cold golden hue that had taken over when Kronos had possessed the son of Hermes. Sun-tanned skin was warm and flushed pink from exertion and Luke’s teeth flashed white in an amused smirk.

“You’re not giving up that easily, are you?” Luke asked. The son of Hermes reached down, offering Percy his hand. “C’mon, Percy. Back on your feet.”

Percy’s heart thumped in his chest and he remembered how it had always skipped a beat when Luke smiled at him like that. Even when they were on opposite sides, Luke’s grin had flustered him and it had taken Kronos possessing the older demigod to make Percy realize why. When he’d seen those harsh gold eyes staring at him where blue had once been, Percy had realized they’d lost Luke, possibly forever. It had hurt so much and Percy finally realized that he had fallen in love with the older demigod, despite all the anger and betrayal he’d felt since that day when Luke had released the pit scorpion on him. He still couldn’t put his finger on when exactly he’d fallen for Luke, but the realization had shocked him.

It shocked him now that Luke was there, offering his hand. Why? Why Luke? The son of Hermes stood above him, hand extended, and Percy reached for it automatically. Luke gripped his hand, a strong and reliable grasp, pulling Percy up as the older demigod smiled at him.

“Good,” Luke told him. He kept his grip on Percy’s hand as the son of Poseidon got up. “Let’s try this again, Percy. Hold your ground. Don’t give up.”

Luke’s image stayed with him as Percy surfaced suddenly, bursting out of the waters of the Styx and collapsing on the beach. He took several deep breaths as he knelt on the sandy shore, barely able to hear as Nico asked worriedly if he was okay and exclaimed that he was hurt. Percy absently noted that his skin was bright red and his body felt like he’d been boiled alive, but his mind was focused only on the vision of Luke he’d had in the Styx.

 _I’m not giving up, Luke,_ he inwardly promised.

He was going to find a way to stop Kronos and save Luke.


End file.
